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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: swing · cue · face · mouse · bat · scale · bowl · chip

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. cue — a hint
  3. face — to confront
  4. chip — for betting
  5. swing — music
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. swing — to play on
  9. scale — size or range
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cue — a signal
  13. face — to point toward
  14. cue — for pool
  15. swing — in golf
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. face — part of the head
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bat — in an idiom

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com